ROBIN WILLIAMS' LAST ACT...

THE LEGACY OF ROBIN WILLIAMS 1951-2014

Depression, like food addiction and suicide, is a disease of isolation. You want to be alone to lick or contemplate your wounds or comfort yourself with your favorite foods. If there's any kind of story in your head, it's when you're alone that you're also more likely to question whether others would be better off without you. Only time will tell whether Robin Williams received such depressing health news that he figured he was going to be a burden to his loved ones. On the hand, we may never be able to make sense of the actor's one act that DID NOT leave us laughing.

But the death of Robin Williams is less solemn, than it is a WAKE UP call.  The legacy Robin Williams is leaving us is a door-opening opportunity to talk openly about DEPRESSION, SUICIDE, and other MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. As a certified teacher for the free NAMI education 12-week course - Family2Family - I have witnessed first hand the pain and helplessness of the relatives and caregivers of their loved ones wrestling with various kinds of mental illness.  Whether there's confusion of thought or processing of information (Schizophrenia) or mood shifts between manic and depression (BiPolar Disorder)...  MENTAL ILLNESS IS BIOLOGICALLY BASED.  MENTAL ILLNESS IS A FAMILY AFFAIR. But too many in the public have not been educated to know these facts.  Most haven't seen or heard the research that demonstrates that mental illness is not associated with violence, WHEN diagnosis and treatment are provided.  Instead, legislators are typically sidetracked into controversial discussions about the rights of people with a mental illness: should you or should you know force treatment on a person who can't make appropriate decisions because their mind in temporarily compromised by a brain disorder. Instead of holding legislators accountable for the lack of mental health facilities and integrated treatment teams, we continue old debates at the expense of new and ongoing needs. 

Furthermore, when it comes to suicide,  it is not unusual for loved ones and friends to feel betrayed or cheated.  Their long grieving period begins with trying to make sense of an event that often has multiple causes... a pain often suffered in isolation.   For the one leaving, the decision may well be seen as an act of kindness; the desire to be less of a burden.  Darkness is faced alone and though friends and loved ones offer much needed distraction, the downtime and ultimate period of isolation may encourage the use of other substances to soothe the pain or quiet the storm in the head. What we do know and is made startling clear by the death of an icon is that deep, serious depression and other forms of mental illness are not going away.

We certainly have the moral authority to demand better.  The national health care system, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, is no longer going to permit body-brain disease inequities.  In the past, the emphasis has been on treating physical diseases - cancer, ALS, diabetes, etc.  The resources and treatment options for mental diseases are not only less developed but likewise receive less research dollars.  With the closing of mental health institutions in the 1970s, the mental health burden was shifted to community for solutions, even though funding did not increase as the number of people with mental health issues living in local communities did.  The small pool of state and federal funding is only now beginning to get more attention.  The public is beginning to learn of the severe shortage of beds and professionals to deal with individuals who experience mental health episodes and that too many individuals with mental health needs are criminalized and housed in detention centers and jails.  It's becoming less acceptable that someone having a chemical imbalance in the brain is criminally blamed when someone going into a diabetic emergency while driving a vehicle, is not.

We already are an addicted nation.  In case no one has notice our neighbors and friends, our co-workers and policy makers, our loved ones and gatekeepers in schools, medical centers, and churches are likely to be taking antidepressants, using drugs and/or alcohol, or having other obsessions to cope when life is difficult.  Our society has changed drastically.  Our methods and mindset for dealing with diseases above the neck, have not changes as rapidly as needed to produce a more humane society.

So it's important in the wake of Robin Willliams' death to pause and to first, thank the comic genius and humanitarian and, second, thank the Williams family for sharing him.  I am grateful that as with President Ronald Reagan bravely sharing he had Alzheimer Disease, Robin Williams' last act is affording us the opportunity to talk more openly about mental health needs. 

At a time when the Center for Disease Control reports that more people die from suicide than car accidents, a national discussion is long overdue. Though he did not leave us laughing this time, Robin Williams gave the country a gift to explore how to  de-stigmatize mental illness, increase treatment opportunities for citizens and the military, and recognize that behavorial changes due to a brain disease can be a special gift when treatment and support are available.

R.I.P. Robin Williams... your ability to make us laugh and forget some of our own burdens will be sorely missed.  Thank you for all you did with your 63 years.

Robin Williams with his three children (Zak, Cody, Zelda) and second wife, Marsha Garces.

Spouses: 1978  Valerie Velordi
                1989  Marsha Garces
                2011  Susan Schneider

   

Robin with third wife.

 July 31, 2014 birthday shout out to daughter, Zelda turning 25.

http://www.thewrap.com/robin-williams-children-react-to-his-death-i-feel-stripped-bare/

 Here's excerpts from 2010 WEAPONS OF SELF DESTRUCTION TOUR

DAVID DeWATERS... 

STEPPING FORWARD 2DAY with some MARVELOUSLY CREATIVE  POETRY.

Get to know the Bowie, Maryland AUTHOR via his Blog: http://daviddewaters.com

David DeWaters is a 28 year old poet from the United States. His first book of poetry, Melancholy Songs, is available on Amazon at http://amzn.com/1492131903

The 54-page book published in August 2013 is an insightful read about DEPRESSION!  Visit his website for more of his comments and descriptions about his work.  See his wonderful mind at work. 

Let your own imagination soar by reading some of David's poems out loud.  Here are some samples to start the journey.  Thank you David for sharing...

The stronger the experience, the harder it is to explain

I remember lying in bed, dreaming,
Half-awake at night when I was younger.
Thoughts of life and outer space were teeming
Out my head with amazement and wonder.
The stars and galaxies were my plaything,
Drifting above me up there in the sky.
I used to think it all so amazing,
But those thoughts have dwindled as time’s gone by.
I used to stretch my imagination
Further than it could go with imagery.
Now I’m reduced to write sad narration,
Of times gone by reduced to memory.
Nonetheless, I look back at it fondly,
And sometimes it even helps to calm me.

—David DeWaters, Imagination

This poem is my attempt at capturing a real, vivid experience that I had when I was younger. I also talk about this experience in the poem that I’m currently working on, but I don’t want to paste it all here because it’s too long of a passage.

Anyway, it might not be obvious what I mean when I say “I used to stretch my imagination / Further than it could go with imagery,” but this is actually a key to understanding the experience. At the heart of the experience is an indescribable feeling, only reached by exceeding the limits of my imagination. The sheer vastness of outer-space is incomprehensible, and through the act of trying to comprehend it, I was able to experience this feeling.

I’ve always been able to experience at least a minor form of lucid dreaming and the ability to control the path that my dreams take, and this probably added to the feeling that I felt. It was a short-lived feeling, and often I would try to repeat the same steps that I took to achieve the feeling immediately after it went away. I know sometimes I would start by imagining something small, something here on Earth, then slowly “zooming out” until I reached the depths of space. Or perhaps I would imagine slowly going back in time until I reached the beginning of time. Eventually, I would reach a point where I couldn’t go back any farther, and that is when I would feel this feeling. It took a great deal of concentration to achieve it, and I wasn’t always successful at it. Over time, I became less and less capable of experiencing it to the point where now I am completely incapable.

So, there is no moral to this post or anything. I just thought I would go into a little more detail in regards to what this poem is about. It’s impossible to do justice to the experience by trying to put it into words, and, truthfully, I haven’t put very much effort into explaining it because I know it would ultimately be futile, but hopefully the poem will have a little more meaning to it after reading this explanation.

By |April 15th, 2014|David DeWaters|1 Comment

More from David's Blog:  www.daviddewaters.com

Time to talk about depression a little bit

I do hate to write about depression,
At least as often as I seem to do.
I would hate to give off the impression
That I’m selfish and of myself consumed.

—David DeWaters, But How Do I Feel This Very Moment?

I haven’t really talked too much about depression on this blog, which may seem strange given the subject matter of my book, but I think these lines from my poem, But How Do I Feel This Very Moment?, help to explain this phenomenon.

Basically, I don’t want to talk about depression. I experience it everyday, and it isn’t enjoyable. However, I need to keep in mind why I published my poems in the first place. Sure, I wanted to showcase my ability as a writer and poet, but I also realized that I was in an unusual position whereby I suffered from depression yet was able to talk about it and express how it feels. I felt obligated to publish my poems and I feel privileged to be able to lend my voice to others who may be going through the same thing yet have no way to express themselves. So, I think I would be doing a disservice if I continued on with this blog without discussing depression every once in a while.

I mentioned in a comment on here that I have trouble accepting compliments from people, and this stems from my depression. Basically, I’m so used to hating myself that it just feels weird and uncomfortable being lauded for something. I don’t feel worthy of anybody’s praise. Obviously, I know how to respond to a compliment. It doesn’t take much more than a thank you. The problem is that it feels dishonest. If I were being honest, I’d say something like, “Uh, no. You’re wrong. I’m actually a garbage individual.” Personally, I think this stops many people from talking about their depression. They don’t want other people’s sympathy because they don’t feel worthy of it, which, ironically, is actually quite a commendable attitude to have.

By |April 11th, 2014|David DeWaters|3 Comments

Feel free to leave your comments here or at David's Blog at  (www.daviddewaters.com)

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. 

Help break the stigma: talk about mental health issues, concerns, coping strategies, recognizing symptoms, and increased need for more programs and treatment sources in our communities.

COLLECTIVE INSANITY in the 21st Century... the new normal! So much madness, so much stress, so many people in emotional pain, so many struggling relationships, an overwhelming amount of technological advances that allow more and more to isolate, moving us away from community and fellowship. It's a miracle even more don't suffer from DEPRESSION or have other mental health issues. 

BRAVO to Chiara, New York City's first daughter for putting a face on depression.

The 19-year old college student is poignant when she steps forward and reminds all of us that DEPRESSION is a disease, that cognitive or mood problems are biologically based.  There's no shame in anyone's game for seeking treatment. It's a right and an essential need for a humane and just society.  Unfortunately, when the federal government shifted responsibility for the "mentally ill" to the states in the late 1980s, patients without medical insurance were largely neglected.  Even now it is clear that the general public tends to be more supportive of social security policy than it is of mental health policy.  Yet, the fabric of our society demands parity of treatment for those who have illnesses above the neck, as well as those who struggle with physical illness in the rest of the body.

Bravo to Chiara for speaking out, first in December 2013 and more recently in an essay in xoJane.

Chiara talks about being in recovery during Mental Health Awareness Month, in an essay in xoJane

I'M CHIARA DE BLASIO AND I'M A YOUNG WOMAN IN RECOVERY

It’s progress -- not perfection -- that’s important.

Chiara de Blasio

May 6, 2014 at 12:20pm | 171 comments

READ FULL STORY HERE

http://www.xojane.com/issues/im-chiara-de-blasio-and-im-a-young-woman-in-recovery

PREVENTING MENTAL ILLNESS or HEAD INJURIES!

OR

WHY KIDS NEED RESPONSIBLE PARENTS... yeah, it's cute to see a baby doing remarkable stuff on a skateboard BUT without shoes and a helmet? Someone in Australia needs to make a "citizens arrest" of the parents of this two year old and FAST! A toddler is not going to ask for a helmet; we expect parents or adults to protect the vulnerable. Here's a good example of how mental illness can be caused by environment. One bad fall, hit on the head and subsequent brain injury can lead to later mental health issues due to biology/disease and environment. SPEAK UP! SPEAK OUT!

Skateboarding baby from Australia

Uploaded by Nick Botha

READ ME ******************** Two-year-old Kahlei from Victoria, Australia, Shows off his, skateboarding skills on the streets.. Kahlei, who has been skateboarding since he was six